Not made up of cells, or lacking a cellular structure; in biology, describing something that does not have the typical cell organization found in living things.
From prefix 'a-' (not) + 'cellular' (from Latin 'cellula,' small room). The term emerged in 19th-century biology to describe organisms and structures that don't fit the cell-based framework.
Viruses are acellular, and this created one of biology's biggest debates: are they alive? Scientists can't agree, partly because life was defined as cellular, but viruses break that rule—showing how a prefix can reveal the limits of our definitions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.